8 Things Your Eyes Can Tell You About Your Health (If You Know What Look For)
Your eye exam can tell you a lot about your overall health. For example, your eye doctor can detect early signs of diabetes, whether you are at higher risk for heart disease, and even indications that you may have c.a.n.c.e.r.
Eye exams check much more than your eyesight.
Regular eye exams make it possible to detect early and treat a number of serious health problems (thyroid disease and multiple sclerosis are just two examples).
Here are eight things your eye exam can tell you about your overall health:..:
1. Diabetes
If your eye doctor notices blood spots in the back of your eye, you may have a condition called diabetic retinopathy, which affects the capillaries of the retina and is the #1 cause of blindness in American adults.
Symptoms of the condition-such as eye pain, floaters, and blurred or fluctuating vision-may not be noticed until the condition is advanced, making it even more important to get your routine eye exam.
In some cases, your eye doctor will detect the signs of diabetic retinopathy before you have been diagnosed with diabetes, giving you a head start on lifestyle changes and treatment.
2. High Cholesterol
When cholesterol builds up in your eyes, a white, gray, or blue ring may form around your iris. This ring will usually appear around the iris as you age.
Although a common sign of aging, this condition – called arcus senilis – can indicate high cholesterol and triglycerides, and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
If you are under 60 (and especially if you are under 40), it is important to have blood tests to detect hyperlipidemia, an abnormally high concentration of fats in the blood.
3. High blood pressure
During an eye test, your optometrist can detect signs of high blood pressure by looking at the blood vessels in your eye to see if they have narrowed or started to leak.
This is not something to take lightly – in addition to being a risk factor for stroke, heart attack, and heart failure, high blood pressure can also have an impact on your vision.
If left untreated, the resulting damage to your blood vessels can lead to blurred or distorted vision and even vision loss.
4. Stroke
If your eye doctor finds microscopic blood clots in the back of your eye or damaged blood vessels due to high blood pressure, you may be at high risk for stroke.
This can happen particularly if the blurred vision is combined with some of the other key signs, such as blurred speech and drooping of the face.
If this is the case, there are a number of tests that your doctor can perform to better address your situation and put you on the path to prevention.
5. Arthritis
In addition to causing inflammation of the joints, some autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can also cause inflammation in the eyes.
People with inflammatory forms of arthritis may also experience redness, eye pain, blurred or reduced vision, light sensitivity, glaucoma and/or cataracts.
6. Thyroid disease
Hyperthyroidism is associated with an autoimmune disease called Graves’ disease, which can cause your eyes to become red and itchy and, in more severe cases, cause your eye muscles to swell and your eyes to become swollen.
If your doctor notices eye protrusion or other evidence of a thyroid problem, you will probably be referred to an eye specialist for further testing.
7. Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative disease that affects your entire nervous system. As the disease attacks your eyes, your optic nerves swell and your vision begins to blur, a condition called optic neuritis.
Optic neuritis is not necessarily a sign that you may develop MS, but the two are often linked. About 75% of people with MS have optic neuritis, and it is often the first symptom that appears.
If MS is detected during an eye exam, it can put you on the path to early diagnosis and treatment.
Source:allaboutvision.com, thesun.co.uk
